Don Palathara's Ekadesham to have India premiere at DIFF

Don Palathara's new film Ekadesham (The Uncertainty Principle) will be screened in India for the first time at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), which runs from October 29 to November 1. Palathara announced the Indian premiere on X, and the festival lists the film as an Asia premiere, with the filmmaker attending.

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Film: Ekadesham (The Uncertainty Principle)

Language: Malayalam

Runtime: 121 minutes

Writer, director, editor: Don Palathara

Cast: Roshan Mathew, Divya Prabha, Jitin Puthanchery, Vinay Forrt, Aarsha Baiju, Mahesh Narayanan, Santhy Balachandran

Producers: Amshunath Radhakrishnan, Jose Mathew, Jomon Jacob, Dr Raju Rhee, Don Palathara

Presented by: Artisan Films

Music: Basil CJ

Festivals: Filmfest Aachen (world premiere, competition), Asian Film Festival Barcelona, Indian Film Festival of New Zealand, DIFF

What the film is about

Set in Kochi, the film follows a group of young people trying to build lives in cinema while dealing with uncertain careers, relationships and everyday compromises. In DIFF's description, an aspiring filmmaker starts making a film inspired by the people around him, and the line between lived experience and fiction begins to blur.

Festivals first, then home

This is a familiar route for Palathara. Ekadesham is his seventh feature, and the festival lists his earlier films as Shavam (2015), Vith (2017), 1956, Central Travancore (2019), Everything Is Cinema (2021), Joyful Mystery (2021) and Family (2023). According to DIFF, his work has screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Cork, Moscow and the IFFK.

Ekadesham has followed the same path. The film had its world premiere in competition at Filmfest Aachen in Germany in September, then played in Barcelona and New Zealand before coming to an Indian festival.

A director in front of the camera

One name in the cast stands out. Mahesh Narayanan, best known as a director and editor, acts in the film. A film about young people chasing a life in cinema has cast someone known mainly for his work behind the camera.

The cast is led by Roshan Mathew and Divya Prabha, with Vinay Forrt among the ensemble. Roshan is also leading Jeo Baby's next film, Human.

Also read: Khidki Gaav wins four awards in Paris: Sanju Surendran named Best Director at Gange Sur Seine festival